Some other playlist
by J.Gabrielle
Summary: -DRABBLES- Will be updated infrequently.
1. Noticing the little things

**Disclaimer: If I'm doing this, does it look like I own anything?**

**J: These are two drabbles I wrote over at LJ.  
**

Arthur never really noticed at first. But it became rather obvious after awhile. For example, when he dipped his head and smiled with his blue eyes sparkling like tiny jewels in the sunlight, there were a million reasons for that little action. And when he frowned and bit his bottom lip, it could mean he was thinking or he could be worried. Yes. Every single little action meant a million things.

And what's more to say about the subtle changes in his voice?

If he was talking and suddenly his voice drops to a low whisper, he was being serious. When he called Arthur by his name, it wasn't out of disrespect or anything else. No. When he says his name, it was out of pure unabashed respect and reverence and honour of the quiet tentative and strangely comforting thing that they had going on. And when he calls his name in a soft moan as he comes, well… that could only have one meaning, for sure.

Sometimes, when they were all alone together somewhere-in the woods, in his room, on his bed basking in the afterglow of unadulterated sex- there were always times when he seems to have something bothering him.

"What is it?" Arthur would ask then. He always asks. Planting a kiss on his forehead and pulling him close; he would rub soothing circles onto the other man's skin.

After a short contemplative silence, the kiss would be reciprocated and a smile, the brightest, widest smile in the whole world would be bestowed upon him. "It's nothing." Would be the answer. But the soft niggling undertones would always plague him afterwards. Arthur knows that there is always something.

But he says nothing. Instead he learns to listen more. He is learning to listen because he knows that one day, the idiot Merlin would tell him and when he does, Arthur wants to know the correct meaning and emotion of it all.


	2. Mystery

**DISCLAIMER: Would I be posting my stories here if I owned Arthur and Merlin? No. I'm just borrowing them from BBC to play with for a little while.**

**J: This is one of two drabbles that I wrote over at LJ. Enjoy and review because reviews are lovely chocolate chipped cookies for the hyperactive plot bunnies.  
**

First, it was that weird witch who kind of froze time and tried to kill him. Then there was that griffin thing. That scared him alright. Imagine trying to take a stab at an animal the size of a horse, with wings, talons and a tail. Not to mention a beak. Yeah, the beak was pretty daunting.

After that, there were those beetles that could crawl into people's head and eat their brains. That was pretty gruesome. After that incident, Arthur found himself walking out of a room when he saw a beetle in there and won't come in till someone was in there with him. Oh! Not to forget those snakes that became animated from Valiant's shield. It _was_ pretty cool, though.

Above all the things he had to face, the one that he will _never _ever mess with again would be the unicorn. Sure, they were beautiful horse-yet-not-horse things, and they shoot rainbow beams out of their arses, but to be cursed once because he was ignorant of the legends meant that he would never be so foolhardy about those things again. There was also that thing about the Questing Beast. That thingcreaturebeast had darn well almost killed him. Well, _almost _Arthur Pendragon was not going to be taken down that easily.

But the most enigmatic of all the creatures that he'd ever met was a boy from Ealdor called Merlin. He never stops smiling, spaces out almost constantly, calls him by his name as though he had the _right _to, wears a neckerchief around his neck that did nothing more than to accentuate his blue, blue eyes. This Merlin never did any of the chores that were given to him properly, never did as he was told, and always, _always _got himself into the stocks.

However, if he was an idiot, then Merlin was the most loyal idiot Arthur had ever come to meet. He'd proven that more than once by drinking obvious poison in his place, risking death because of his mistake, risked death for his friends and anyone and everything he held dear. And Arthur found that trait extremely endearing.

Another thing was that some days, Merlin would look at him. Really, _really _look at him, like he could see something he couldn't in himself. Like there was some sort of beauty that he saw in Arthur. All the feelings were evident in blue orbs. Sometimes if he squinted, he could actually see them dance. And sometimes, the prince feels he is undeserving of all that emotion.

Sometimes, out of the corner of his eye, he could almost swear he saw a flash of gold in the blue eyes. And this usually happens when dangers were imminent and by some sudden miracle, whatever foes that they might be up against, seem to fail against them. Merlin often seems tired, jittery and a little more respectful after those little incidences. Arthur often wonders why.

So, it is needless to say that Merlin is the most mysterious creature he knows of. And Arthur vows to uncover the secret behind the smile.


	3. Wait

**DISCLAIMER: Nope. Still don't own anything**

There was the fact that there were sheaves of parchments strewn across his desk. Some were of the utmost important state secrets. Some were simple building plans needing his approval. Some were letters from distant kings with ambitions to have their daughters on Camelot's throne.

Then there was the thing about his father wanting him to attend tonight's banquet. A visiting Countess who had taken a shine to him was leaving tomorrow. Her allegiance would be most valuable as she was bordered with Mercia. No. It wouldn't do them any good to be in her bad books. She liked to stroke his arms gently, her touch like a spider's kiss. Up close, her face was riddled with marks of her age. But it had to be tolerated. Her bad books are not somewhere he'd sit comfortably in.

The stables need mucking out. His armour needs cleaning. The various unworn jackets need to be arranged and colour coded- again. The boots need shining. The torn jerkin needs darning. The sheets need changing. And it's raining outside. The knights must be looking for him now. He'd missed the third watch patrols.

But what does it matter? When Merlin smiled his crooked grinning wide smile and his eyes widened impossibly bigger, there was really only one thing that Arthur wanted. So reality can wait outside the door till he was satisfied.


	4. Motion

Wake up. Slide feet into slippers. Pad into kitchen. Make tea. Drink tea but be sure not to burn tongue. Put cup in sink. Will wash cup later.

Run the shower. If water is too cold, curse it fruitlessly in 10 different dead languages to warm it up. Step into shower with toothbrush. Execute daily regimen of hygiene. Teeth first, body later. Body shampoo almost finished? Put it on to buy list for the week.

Step out of shower. Towel self dry. Pad into kitchen and make another cup of tea. Get dressed. Today it is skinny jeans, not-so-smelly band tee shirt lying on the lamp shade by the window, and red neckerchief tied secure in place. No need to comb hair back because it has a life on its own and will spring back in place by 11 o'clock. Finish cup of tea and wash both cups up, leaving to dry on the steel rack by the sink. The mobile rings. It's Gwen and she's asking "Where the _Fuck_ are you?"

Telling her "I'll be there soon", pet Artemis the grey cat in the mad dash to grab things as the mobile rings again. It's Gaius this time. He's reminding about the dinner with your mother on Saturday. You remember it of course, because you've written it and tacked it somewhere under the weight of stick-on memos on the board. The end of the conversation is when you board the bus.

You make it to the library on time, just as Gwen furrows her arched brows; you kiss her cheek and tell her it'll all work out well. That somehow, the assignments will sort themselves out, that the 1000 word essay due at noon will miraculously appear in your file and that someday, you'll see him.

You'll see him at the corner of your eye, and this time he'll be real. That this time, you can hold him again, kiss those lips, hold those familiar hands, run your hand through those locks, breathe in him again. That the years you spent waiting have finally paid off. That this time, _maybe_, just this time. You'll both be able to have a normal life for once. And that you won't have to lose him all over again. Starting the motion of rebuilding your life from the broken shards only to have it broken in the end.


End file.
